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JOHN W. BAKER, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA,

t Letters Patent No. 69,156, dated September 24, 1867.

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TO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BAKER, of Parkersburg7 in the county of Wood, and State of West Virginia have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Plugs, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which makes part of this specification.

It is well known that great losses frequently result from the fact that in severe weather the iire-plngs are frozen up, so that it is necessary to melt the ico in them or thaw them out with hot water before they con be used. It is the object of my invention to preclude the possibility et' such an occurrence, andthe disastrous and troublesome delays attendant upon such freezing of the plugs, by shutting 01T the water at the main, and draining the service or supply pipe, so that it shall be emptied and continuo empty whenever the tire-plug is not in actual use, and the improvements claimed herein consist in the means of accomplishing this object, as here inafter described. In the drawingsi Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the tiro-plug and thc supply pipe, and

Figures 2, 3, and 4 are sections of the water-cock.

rEhe service pipe B is tapped into the main in the usual manner, and so that it may slightly inclino upwards from the main toV the elbow-joint, for the purpose of facilitating the draining of this pipe, as will be presently described. The upright portion ot the pipe B muy be adjusted in the box in any suitable manner. As near to the main as practicable I tit into the supply pipo I3 a two-way cock, A, which is turned to the position shown in iig. 4 when it is desired to let on the water, which is forced from the main through the cock into the pipe B. When the water is shut ofi' from the main, the cock is turned to the position shown in figs. 1 and 2, in which position the waste-ways i' I will permit the water in the service pipe to drain off through the cock into the sewer or into the ground. 'lhese waste-ways z' I, it will be seen, are closed when the water is turned on from the main.

To work the cock A, I mount a bcvcl-wheel, C, upon the end of its plug, and gear into this wheel a correspending wheel, I), mounted upon one end et a shaft, E, which is support-ed in suitable bearings, and which carries on its opposite end a bevel-wheel, F, which gears into n Correspending wheel, G, supported upon the l lower part of a vertical rod or shaft, G', provided at its lower end with a step or any suitable bearing, and at Fm its upper end by the` cap ot' the box or ease of the plug through which it passes. Upon this upper end of the i shaft G is mounted a handwhcel, by turning which in one direction the gearing will open the cock, and by turning it in the opposite direction the coch will he closed. lt is obvious that it' desirable, for security against tampering or meddling with the plug, this upper end of the shaft G might be supported in the upper part of the hox'or casing without projecting through it, and be worked through the cap or top by a Spanner fitting over the end of the shaft. l

The service pipeand the gearing and its bearings should be enclosed iu a box or easing, of such strength and material as may be'requisit-e to protect the mechanism from becoming clogged or being strained, and to admit of ready access to the parts when repairs are necessary. The bottom ot' this easing should be perforated to admit of the escape of waste water.

By means o f the device above described the water is shut oit' immediately at the main, and the pipe between the main and thc mouth of the plug perfectly drained, so that there cannot be any possible obstruction in the plug from the formation of ico; and it is obvious that nothing short of the absolute freezing of the main will prevent the ready llow of water to the plug when the cool; is turned on.

lI have deemed itvbestto provide for working the cool: by gearing, because from the comparatively long periods during which iireplugs remain unused the accumulation ot' rust or other accretions might render a diil'erent mechanism less certainly eil'eetive, or less suflicient 'or all emergencies, in the re-plug; but in a separate patent issued to me, et even date with this, I have described my intention as applied to hydrants.

What I claim herein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent., is

The combination, substantially as described, of n shut-off valve or stop-cock and waste-way immediately at thc main, with a train of gearing operated from the plug.

i In testimony whereot` I have hereunto 'subscribed my name.

JOHN W. BAKER. D Witnesses:

WALTER S.' Sa'Nns,

PHILtP L. WILsoN. 

